Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-01-08
JANKO, THE MUSICIAN.
BY . Ohm NITCHIE.
Copyrighted, 1885, by 8. s. Mcclure.

BY JOHN NITCHIE.
Copyrighted, 1885. by 8. s. Mcclure.
He came weak and helpless into the
world The little company of women
that stood aroand tie bedside shook
their heads over mother and child In
deed, with the uncompromising logic of
the poor, they reasoned that it would be
better for both to die.
Janko's father had left Bohemia soon
after his marriage, and after some wan
derings had secured work in great mill
in Chicago. But he was killed by the
fall of rail, short time before Janko's
birth. A few friendly women of her own
race stood by the poor widow at the time
when woman most needs her husbands
comfort and love.
The child seemed scarcely to breathe.
One of the women took it, and, sprink-
ling it with holy water, solensnly pro-
nounced the words:
81 baptize thee in the name of the
Father, Son, and Holly Ghost, and give
thee the name of Jan. Now then, Chris
tian soul, 60 back whence thou cameth."
But the Christian soul bad no desire
to return and leave the poor, weakly
body, and so Janko lived.
The mother and child finally drifted in
small, .old-fashioned village at some
distance from the city. The poor Bohe-
milan woman earned enough to feed and
clothe them in certain way, and the
burden of old sorrows began to tighten.
At 10 years Of age Janko was strange
looking little fellow. His face was thin
and hsggard; his body bulged in a dis
tended fashion; his hair was almost
white, and struggled down over his clear
glowing eyes, that seemed to look out
into the world an immeasurable distance.
In winter he crouched by the stove, and
wept softly with the cold, perhaps, or
sometimes for hunger. In summer he
ran around in an old shirt and an ambig
uous pair of pants.
He was not bright boy, and, ike
true child of the village, he put his fin
ger in his mouth if any one spoke to him.
It is impossible to explain it, but he had
one talent and inclination, for music. II
he went out with the other boys for bust
ness, he always returned empty handed,
but he would come hobbling into the
house with glistening eyes and exclaim:
"Ah! mother, if you could have heard
the music the woods played for me to-
day"
ii will play on you, you good for
nothing" cried his mother angrily.
The boy cried and promised never to
listen again. but still in his thoughts he
heard the music of the woods, of the
oaks and birches and hickories. How
they sang and sounded, and the echo,
TOO. In the fields the grass blades sang
10 him. In the evening he listened TO
those low, far heard sounds that come
softly across the twilight in the country
villages. II they SGT him to work in
fields, very likely they would find him
standing with hair blown back and. wide
open, unseeing eyes, listening to the
wind hum in the prongs of the hay fork.
His mother dared not take him to
church, for at the sound Of the organ his
whole little soul was 80 stirred that there
seemed to be the reflection of another
world in his eyes, and his mother always
felt apprehensive. So they called him
aJanko the musician" in the village;
bat God alone knew the beautiful sounds
he heard in the fields and woods.
The solitary policeman of the village
more than once saw Janko's white shirt
disappear in. the darkness as he passed
the store where the village orchestra
practiced in the evening.
Within the violins sang gaily, "we
win make the glasses clink," and the
big bass viols grumbled gravely. GAS
God wills! As God wills!" And then the
policemen shouted to him.
.Better be trotting of home, You
little rascal" But the sounds followed
him, and half the night he lay awake
and listened to the violins ringing over
and over again. 1--WE win dance. we
win drink, we viii make the glnsses
dick and the bass viols droning. GAS
God willsi as God willsp How he
longed for violin.
Finally Janko made himself tiny
fiddle out Of cornstalk, with horse hair
STRINGS, which buzzed and whinsd like q
Fly ora mosquito. He played upon it
from morning till night, and received 30
many kicks and cuffs for his idle music
making that the poor little fellow looked
ike bruised, unripe apple. Janko grew
more wasted, the lower part Of bis body
urokrnded moro than ever. but hie cheeks